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This simple black and white BoLINK ad from 2000 featured two cars:

The Nitro Racer, a gas-powered on-road/oval track car released in 1999 after a very short 2 1/2 months of development. The chassis was a G-10 (fire resistant) fiberglass pan with Associated's Dynamic Strut front suspension and a t-bar/friction pad/Associated VCS macro shock in the rear. A kydex nerf wing and front bumper as well as a fuel tank were included but engine, muffler, clutch, wheels, tires, body, radio and electronics were not.

The RACEtech G-Force electric oval racer was manufactured and distributed by BoLINK after they acquired RACEtech in 1998. The G-Force was a top tier Super Speedway car featuring a skeletal graphite pan style chassis with adjustable left side battery mounts. An Associated Dynamic Strut suspension with titanium steering turnbuckles and Kimbrough servo saver resided up front and a t-bar/VCS macro shock/dampening tube suspension supported the rear with a Dillon Tweak System. A heavily contoured aluminum motor plate and bulkhead supported the IRS fiberglass axle with a Kimbrough spur gear, ball differential, and lightened aluminum hubs. Wheels, tires, body, radio and electronics were not included.

I actually have a Nitro Racer project in the works I bought in 2022 that's brand new never run. I'm still in the sourcing parts phase due to going for a very specific build type. I had no idea that Bolink ever produced a nitro powered pan car, and had to have it! Nitro powered pan cars are a wild concept to me in general.

What's interesting is the kit comprises largely of Associated parts. Imagine a company these days selling a kit that requires another manufactures parts to complete it?

Lowgear wrote: ↑Thu Jan 11, 2024 9:08 pm What's interesting is the kit comprises largely of Associated parts. Imagine a company these days selling a kit that requires another manufactures parts to complete it?

I could see it being cool. Rather than a company making conversion kits they offer complete kits. Benefits the company making the parts because they're selling twice as many parts. More manufactures mean more competition which means more sales. Do you think perceptions have changed over time that would make reception of such a kit different?

Lowgear wrote: ↑Thu Jan 11, 2024 9:08 pm I actually have a Nitro Racer project in the works I bought in 2022 that's brand new never run. I'm still in the sourcing parts phase due to going for a very specific build type. I had no idea that Bolink ever produced a nitro powered pan car, and had to have it! Nitro powered pan cars are a wild concept to me in general.

What's interesting is the kit comprises largely of Associated parts. Imagine a company these days selling a kit that requires another manufactures parts to complete it?

The rear pod is the same one Dynamite used for their Apex10 conversion kits...but I'm not sure if Dynamite made it and Bolink sourced the parts from them, or Bolink made the parts and Dynamite resold them. So it could be Bolink only supplied the chassis and hubs.

Dangeruss wrote: ↑Thu Jan 11, 2024 4:31 pm The BoLINK Nitro RACER was a gas powered on-road/oval track car released in 1999. This ad also featured the RACEtech G-Force electric oval racer as BoLINK acquired RACEtech in 1998.


BoLINK Stock Car Ad 2000.jpg

The Bolink nitro racers were crazy fun! We ran them on a big flat tri oval in DeKalb IL. Started off with mostly stock Bolinks and stock car bodies but the power was WAY too much. We eventually modified them so much that very little Bolink was left on them. We also went to big wedge bodies with sides dams so we could keep em planted. Things would get catch air if you hit bumps or another car. We'd hit 40-50mph at the end of the long straight (fast at the time). Wish I had pics or video of them

Dangeruss wrote: ↑Fri Jan 12, 2024 6:33 am

Lowgear wrote: ↑Thu Jan 11, 2024 9:08 pm What's interesting is the kit comprises largely of Associated parts. Imagine a company these days selling a kit that requires another manufactures parts to complete it?

I could see it being cool. Rather than a company making conversion kits they offer complete kits. Benefits the company making the parts because they're selling twice as many parts. More manufactures mean more competition which means more sales. Do you think perceptions have changed over time that would make reception of such a kit different?

Yeah, looking at it through the eyes of 2024, I can't imagine any of today's prominent manufacturers using each others parts. That would be sacrilege! I've read discussions about it over the years which is what made me think about it while posting. It was mainly meant to make a point about how much things have deteriorated just in the last 20 years. It wasn't all about putting the other guy out of business back then.

Phin wrote: ↑Fri Jan 12, 2024 7:59 am The rear pod is the same one Dynamite used for their Apex10 conversion kits...but I'm not sure if Dynamite made it and Bolink sourced the parts from them, or Bolink made the parts and Dynamite resold them. So it could be Bolink only supplied the chassis and hubs.

I did not know that which I find interesting. The rear axle assembly comprises of Bolink parts, too. There was also a cheaper version of the Nitro Racer designated as the 'Sport' model which didn't have the dynamic strut front suspension. It came with a sliding pillar one instead, and had bushings instead of bearings.

Lowgear wrote: ↑Fri Jan 12, 2024 9:30 pm I did not know that which I find interesting. The rear axle assembly comprises of Bolink parts, too. There was another cheaper version of the Nitro Racer designated as the 'Sport' model which didn't have the dynamic strut front suspension.

The original Dynamite Apex10 was a converted Eliminator: https://www.rccaraction.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/RC-Car-Action-May-1994-Dahms-Dynamite-Pro-10.jpg

Huh... I wasn't aware of that factoid either. I've always known the Apex10 existed, but never looked into what it was specifically in any great detail. Pretty cool stuff for sure. Bolink also had another nitro pan car that came out a year after the Nitro Racer called the Nitro Slider which was a bit more involved in its design.